By Cara Anderson
IG: @carajojo
Jeff Sessions stated that the Obama Era policies on federal regulation of cannabis will remain.
Sessions has consistently and openly opposed cannabis, and although it comes as no surprise, his statement provides upset for medical card holders and cannabis business owners alike.
“Our policy is the same, really, fundamentally as the Holder-Lynch policy, which is that the federal law remains in effect and a state can legalize marijuana for its law enforcement purposes, but it still remains illegal with regard to federal purposes.” – Jeff Sessions
As we know, cannabis is classified as a Schedule 1 substance by the federal government. A Schedule 1 classification deems cannabis as a substance that has absolutely no medicinal benefit. I’d love to stick to objectivity, but that’s bull.
Recently, my girlfriend, “J,” went on a date with a gun-toting man who “works with the government” and “investigates drug crimes.” J is a white witch, yogi, stylist, and a “joint eater.” Super California. One of the first times I met her she boasted that she rolls the best joints, which I found out to be true. With all of this considered, I was surprised when she told me she went on a date with this man.
I called J to get details on this date. I heard her spark a joint a couple minutes into the call.
In summation, on the date my friend and the gun-toter got onto the topic of cannabis.
The two spoke candidly about cannabis, among other drugs. Apparently, he was entirely uneducated on the medicinal properties of cannabis. I imagined J’s eyes perking up at the thought of teaching this self-proclaimed drug investigator. She inquired about cannabis being classified as a Schedule 1 substance. The man informed this witch that the Schedule 1 status is “going to change soon,” he casually and matter of factly added that “it’s shifting.”
There is no hope for a second date between these two, but there is hope that their encounter shifted his perception on cannabis medicine as well as the trope of a stoner. I digress.
I’m taking the man’s assertion that cannabis’ scheduling classification will be reduced with a grain of salt, especially since Sessions’ recent statements. It sure is interesting, though, that a government employed drug investigator who has worked on drug busts internationally, including in Colombia, is ignorant about cannabis.
I wish that Sessions could go sit across from my uncle and tell him he believes that cannabis has no medical properties. My uncle is confined to a wheelchair; he has Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that causes miscommunication between the brain and the rest of the body. MS can cause muscle weakness, loss of vision, loss of mobility, tremors, slurred speech, bowel problems, etc.
When my uncle takes CBD oil, he has mental clarity and is able stand for more than 30 seconds.
Jeff Sessions–go sit in front of my uncle and tell him that cannabis should continue to be a Schedule 1 drug, a classification that deems cannabis a non-medicinal plant, a classification that inhibits access to the best cannabis products, the best MEDICINE, for countless people.
And what about humans who are suffering from ailments as a direct cause of serving our country? You know, veterans. The Phoenix Veterans Administration Health Care System is working to block research on cannabis treatment for PTSD sufferers.
One of the first interviews that Candid Chronicle published was an interview with Raymond Rico, a veteran who works with Weed for Warriors, a nonprofit that provides cannabis to veterans. Raymond had never smoked weed prior to joining with Weed for Warriors, but cannabis is the only treatment that helped him salvage normality in his life. Raymond described how his PTSD became unbearable for his family; his ailments were putting him at risk of losing his wife.
“I have a big family. I have a wife, two kids, one on the way. When I got out it was so stressful, all the weight on me, I needed to do everything. Dealing with my anxiety, my PTSD, I had no tolerance. I would get really aggravated. Me and my family were breaking down, and we weren’t doing very well. Then I heard about medical marijuana, everything became more mellow for me, it made more sense, kind of relaxed, even let me think more clear.” – Raymond Rico, of Weed for Warriors
The government retaining cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance is a statement that the quality of life for American citizens, including veterans, is not that important.
Government officials are lying by stating that cannabis has no medicinal benefit. Sure, cannabis creates psychoactive effects, but the healing advantages of cannabis are undeniable. If our government was truly concerned about public health and public safety, then cannabis wouldn’t be classified as a Schedule 1 substance. The drug epidemic in the United States is funded by pharmaceutical companies.
The point is, the government isn’t concerned about public health, they are concerned about money. What’s new?
